Visitors to the accessible treehouse at the end of the Sensory Trail behind Forest Rose School will be greeted by a glimpse into the forest, and not just through the windows.

A large-scale work of art by Art & Clay Artist in Residence Brandon Muck was commissioned by the Sensory Trail Committee and installed by Fairfield County Historic Parks, who operates the Sensory Trail. Special thanks to Art Brate, chairman, and to Chris Vargo from FCH Parks, Brandon’s piece, titled Into the Forest, now graces the large wall directly inside the treehouse where a previous artwork had been, before being destroyed by vandals.

“The piece is about how I want people to feel when they see it,” Brandon said. “It’s about peace. People might feel peaceful being in the woods or maybe my art will make them feel that way.”

Brandon created his work by using a wood burner to trace over a landscape design he first sketched by hand. It is a woodland scene, complete with forest animals commonly found in this area. The tones in the work are natural, achieved by Brandon through the use of stains and varnishes. Finally, the art is coated in multiple layers of polyurethane, including several coats of a product that will resist graffiti.

“I’m happy with it,” Brandon said. “It feels good for people to see my work. I don’t know what they will get out of it. I hope it just makes people happy and calm.”

BRANDON MUCK Since 2013, Brandon has sold several works throughout central Ohio and participated in three group exhibitions. In 2014, Brandon had his first solo exhibition titled, Sifting Through Muck at Art & Clay on Main in Lancaster, Ohio. He’s been accepted by a jury in both 2016 and 2017 to the VSA Ohio: Accessible Expressions Tour in Columbus, Ohio. Brandon also has an outdoor work on display by the downtown gazebo, commissioned by Fairfield Federal Bank in Lancaster, Ohio. He is employed at Art & Clay and Fairfield Medical Center and lives in Fairfield County.